February 2012
8 tags
underground rebel fuckin' bingo - part 2!
saturday night, we tried our hand at underground rebel bingo again. this time it was at the dragonfly in east hollywood. i was super pumped because last time was a blast. to be honest though, this time i was ready to leave almost as soon as we got there. i just wasn’t feeling the crowd or the vibe. but then, the countdown started and the sexy british man came on stage, and all was well...
12 tags
straight and narrow
Informal: the proper, honest, and moral path of behaviour.
sweater: jcrew
skirt, watch: hand me downs
socks: kohls
shoes: joie
necklaces: f21, gift
sunglasses: toms
photos by keith
10 tags
a painting a week: 5/52
ta-daaa! the last in sunny’s custom series. i love this one too! i think its a little more cartoon-y than even my usual style, but thats cool. and sunny’s in town, too! so hopefully i’ll get to see the lady friend and give her these bad boys ;-)
last weeks painting: 4/52
4 tags
a photo a day: january 29 - february 4
1/29/12: spent the day up on the roof, reading girl with the dragon tattoo while the chicken marinated in the crock pot.
1/30/12: biked to the beach! let me tell you, it has been quite some time since my last biking adventure and i am out. of. shape. i literally felt like i had been used as a punching bag by the time we were done. but its good, i just need to get back in the habit.
...
3 tags
BBC Worldwide Productions is seeking couples in LA...
BBC WORLDWIDE PRODUCTIONS IS LOOKING FOR COUPLES
FOR A DOCUMENTARY
Are you currently in a relationship?
Are you recently married? Is marriage what you thought it would be?
Are you currently deciding whether or not to get married?
Perhaps you want to settle down, but your partner is not so sure?
Do you have strong views on marriage? Does your partner always share your views?
Or have you...
4 tags
gathering moments
a semi-daily reminder to be present and grateful. a little whimsy doesn’t hurt either.
5 tags
fabric portrait
i’ve been pinning these fabric portraits like crazy, and i’ve had this embroidery hoop for ages with the intention of doing this, so i finally just did it. the above supplies aren’t entirely accurate. i had this spray adhesive that i was planning to use, but it ended up being expired, so i ghetto-rigged my diy instead. you’ll see.
i had this lovely trina turk top that...
10 tags
bust your kneecaps
i’ve had these tights for a good five months or so and have been dying to wear them but haven’t been able to quite figure them out. finally the stars aligned and everything came together. i liked it so much i wore it two days in a row. don’t tell anyone how gross i am. thanks.
jacket: gap
shirt: pomplamoose
shoes: toms
everything else: f21
photos by keith
January 2012
7 tags
wish you were here: january 2012
one of my resolutions for the new year was to start a new feature called “wish you were here.” the basic premiss is i just list all the reasons/memories/events that made me happy to be in la in the month.
spent the last day of last year in sunny hollywood, eating chick-fil-a and taking pictures of the city.
rang in the new year at universal city walk and got to see (for the...
6 tags
beer chicken tacos & guac
another sunday, another crock pot meal. hooray! this time we used this recipe for beer chicken tacos. i seriously get so much pleasure from making something for others and having them eat their faces off because its so delicious.
i wont get into a full play by play, but here are the highlights:
homemade taco seasoning.
mix in beer of choice.
pour over chicken breasts and after 8...
5 tags
brainstorming
thankfully i’ve been diligent enough to actually stick to my photo a day resolution so far. but a few times too many, its been the end of the day and i’m going oh shit! i need to take my photo! so i’ve been brainstorming some themes to follow. i’m gonna start one of them this week, but i haven’t quite settled on which one yet. do you have any ideas for me that...
a painting a week: 4/52
number three in the four part series for sunny! i’m pleased as punch with this one as well. i once again saved it until saturday, but i swear i’m not going to make that my habit as the year progresses.
see the rest of the year’s paintings here:
1/52 2/52 3/52
16 tags
a photo a day: january 22-28
1/22/12: night one of pulled-porkapalooza. the bbq goodness was followed by reminiscing of childhood movies. apparently i’m the only one who never saw the brave little toaster.
1/23/12: the sky after the rain. crazy how sometimes los angeles doesn’t look like los angeles.
1/24/12: these are the only things that have been getting me through work.
1/25/12: reading in bed...
12 tags
wheres waldo?
every time i wear this top i feel a bit like a sailor, but inevitably someone tells me i look like waldo. i like it anyway. and i really like these pants. i’ve been on the hunt for black jersey trousers and finally found them! guess where?
top: hand me down from nontra
pants: forever 21
necklace: another hand me down
sunglasses: ny street vendor
shoes: dolce vita for...
5 tags
what a crock: pulled pork sammies
holy cow pig, y’all. this weekend was the second go-round with the crock pot and boy was it a hit. we followed this recipe pretty much to a tee (or to a t? - i was just trying to figure out which it is and failed. anyone know?) so i wont rehash all the nitty gritty for you. but i will say this: make more than the recipe calls for. you will want it. double it at least. triple for good...
17 tags
day glo
i needed a backpack. so i scoured the internet checked urban outfitters to see if they had anything cute. they did! so i went to the store and the power was out. so i could not buy said backpack. so i went to forever 21 and i tried to be good you guys, really - i was determined to walk out with something out of the ordinary for me. so i went into the dressing room with a pile of...
13 tags
back in action
i feel like i’ve been a little MIA around these parts lately, but trust me, i’m still here. these are things that were happening while i was away.
{above} pretty nails courtesy of nontra’s collection. thinking i may need this top coat for myself.
not much is sexier than a cute hipster boy with a bike. i cant wait for it to warm up a little so we can ride!
it has been...
4 tags
finding inspiration
in the never-ending struggle to refine my blog, i’ve decided i need to just figure it out and do it. the starting point: inspiration. i feel like most people are probably like me and follow all their blogs on a reader, but i still want to be proud and happy when i visit my page and i want my readers to feel like its a place they want to come back to. by far, my favorite is from me to...
8 tags
wurstkuche venice
i love me a good sausage and beer. wurstkuche is perfect for that. they boast all kinds of “exotic” sausages like rattlesnake & rabbit, duck & bacon, and alligator & pork which (from what i’ve had so far) are all pretty delicious, they really just taste like sausage. worth the extra dollar more than the mango-jalepeno sausage? sure, if its your first time. but...
11 tags
a painting a week: 3/52
i’m so proud of this one. i flippin love it! i almost want to keep it for myself, but alas, it is number two in sunny’s four-part series. i’m gonna try and be better and do this weeks painting tomorrow, rather than put it off until saturday night again. but i am pretty excited that i’ve stuck to it thus far. i know its only week three, but still. i think in these three...
19 tags
a photo a day: january 15-21
1/15/12: holy cow its the middle of january already. WHAT. sunday i painted, marshall bought a bike, and i spent a couple of hours in a room with a bunch of nerds downtown, followed by enchilada night. felix approves.
1/16/12: monday was spent with nontra. i had some laundry to do and we had some hanging out to catch up on. we took a walk to get crepes, but the restaurant was closed for the...
11 tags
a painting a week: 2/52
ta da! painting week two! technically, i painted it a day late, but shh. this is number one in a 4-part series that i’m doing for miss sunny!
13 tags
a photo a day: january 8-14
1/8/12: i took a bunch of pictures today, but this one just kind of encompasses the whole day. we walked down to the farmers market cause i was craving empanadas and it was just a gorgeous day. this leaning tree made me giggle.
1/9/12: trees two days in a row! eep! today was super awesome. woke up early and got some errands done - got ink for my printer so i can start putting these photos in...
4 tags
whatta week
oh man, its been a week. i tell ya. luckily i’ve managed to stay on track with my photo a day (will post this week tomorrow) and will do my painting for the week this afternoon, but its been rough. despite the craziness, there have been bright spots that make everything okay.
{above} we got packets of tea at work with this inspiring image of blake in them. i still cant get over how...
13 tags
pajama party
if you follow me on twitter, you know that yesterday, i felt like i was wearing pjs. i didnt realize though how much i looked like i was wearing pjs until going through the photos. holy moley. lesson learned: these pants must be worn with heels. second lesson learned: only double up on cardigans with skinny jeans or leggings. i was all over the place here. live and learn, i guess.
...
8 tags
its a bad time to be a christmas tree.
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also, this.
i really just love old cars. bright and shiny, or broken down and rusted, i don’t judge. but throw in a fancy hood ornament and you better believe i’m all about it.
15 tags
american classic
we came across this beauty on the walk to the farmers market sunday morning. it was love at first sight. i went a little nuts, sorry. but - do you see this?! come on now.
also, this is my first attempt at using katie’s pencil box method of photo editing. i’m in love.
14 tags
nudist dreams
promptly after taking these photos, i declared that i wished i could be a nudist. it would be awesome. two reasons. one: i love being naked in the sunshine. there is nothing {much} better. two: i’m just so much more comfortable without clothes on. when you’re dressed, theres always elastic thats too tight, or a waistband digging in, or a scratchy fabric bugging you....
5 tags
what a crock: our first foray into pot crockery:...
i got marshall a crock pot for christmas, and for its maiden voyage, we decided beef stew would be the mission. here’s how it works:
cut 4 (ish) lbs of top round steak into bite size pieces.
heat olive oil on medium high and brown the meat. you’ll have to do it in shifts - put the browned meat into the crock pot as it is done and add more to the skillet as room opens up.
...
10 tags
a painting a week: 1/52
you guys, i’m so excited about this resolution. i’ve been wanting to paint this guy for some time now, so here it is - my first painting of 2012! Its the library on ocean park and…i wanna say 31st. i just now realized that i forgot “fairview branch” underneath “library.” oops. i’ll do that as soon as i get home and then promptly post to etsy.
5 tags
a photo a day: january 1-7
1/1/12: twenty twelve started out by living up to my every expectation: hanging out by the pool in shorts. we got a late start, so we missed the sun, but still.
1/2/12: i am the bag lady of bag ladies. i consider myself relatively low maintenance, but somehow i always have so. much. stuff. this is just what i took out of my car from the last 2 days!
1/3/12: josie and i rekindled our...
11 tags
dirty pretty things
i have a strange fascination with things that are kind of dirty, kind of falling apart, but still (in my eyes anyway) are still pretty. here’s a smattering of those dirty, pretty things i’ve noticed lately.
22 tags
la la land
i’m pretty sure i have more tops representing california or los angeles than one girl needs. but this girl loves la. why? i dont know, maybe its because it’s january third and i’m outside in a chiffon skirt and a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up. pretty sure that has a lot to do with it. but look - leaves on the ground! see, we totally have seasons.
shirt,...
6 tags
listen to the new year's babble-on podcast here! →
14 tags
moving forward
while this guy spent a good portion of the last day of 2011 cleaning out his closet and taking a buttload of clothes to goodwill, i reached into the depths of mine for some nye inspiration. i’ve only worn this dress once before because its pretty loud and really little. i tried my best to make it a little less scandalous and more age-appropriate but still dressy and fun for our...
9 tags
resloutions
i’m not usually a big resolution maker. i usually feel like if there is a change to be made, just make it in the moment - why wait for new years? but this year i have a lot of projects i want to do and things that just need to happen, so i figured i’d write them down to keep myself accountable.
a photo a day, which should be a cinch, but i want to give it some focus so i don’t...
13 tags
the perfect light.
i caught this light by chance friday at work and it made me so happy. i just love pink sky so much.
24 tags
nye '11
this was probably the most sober, but funnest new years eve’s in recent history. usually it’s all hype and big letdown. but this year it was easy and a blast. of course, any day that starts off with chick fil a on a warm, sunny los angeles afternoon is bound to be great.
(gratuitous hollywood shot)
after lunch, we dove down to melrose so i could get the JOHNNY CUPCAKES HEY...
16 tags
#pinning
my favorite recent pins: the ideal living room; the most adorable romper; parmesean potato balls; obsession-worthy jars; a totally doable cork stamp diy.
December 2011
5 tags
good advice.
12 tags
freddy bear's
on our way home from the cheese castle, mom and i detoured a bit in the back country roads trying to find some big chickens. (mom has an affection of roadside critters and is trying to document all she can - i’m trying to get her to blog about them. ahem.)
we didn’t find the chickens, but we found freddy bear’s antique mall. they had a pretty great selection and reasonable...
6 tags
mars cheese castle
one thing i was determined to do while i was home was visit the mars cheese castle. its about an hour away from me, and i’ve driven past it a million times in my life (usually on an ikea journey) but have never stopped. and i love cheese! it just didn’t make any sense.
ha - this guy.
my beautiful mama, and me being skeptical.
they have a bar there too! with spicy bloody...
18 tags
the haul
i’m pretty sure i’m the easiest person ever to shop for. or maybe the people in my life just know me really well? maybe both ;-) (i have a four year old cousin - above is mostly his haul!)
from my secret santa: mustache clips, a camera stamp and ihop in the prettiest bag (i may frame it!) and the most adorable card ever.
a photo a day album from this guy, which i cannot wait...
22 tags
four christmases
make that five, actually, counting last night. i wasn’t able to get a ton of time off work for this visit home, so while i’m here i needed to make sure i see every extension of my crazy family and squeeze in as many traditions as possible. i am fat and exhausted, but if those are the worst of my problems, consider me one lucky girl.
top, pants, belt: jcrew
vest: borrowed...
10 tags
home for the holidays
my gramma’s house is literally a winter wonderland!
santas, snowmen and surprises around every corner!
16 tags
she's a maneater
last night i went out with my mom, gramma and some more family to a little martini bar in town. unbeknownst to us, it was karaoke night. my mom’s hubby was in heaven, as he is a karaoke master. i was indifferent at first, but two extra-dirty martinis later i was singing a different tune. hall and oates, to be exact.
coat: urban outfitters
sweater: banana republic
jeans: seven...
9 tags
all wrapped up
i love wrapping presents. i usually get super cutsey paper and go all out with ribbon curls, but this year i kept it simple.
{above} brown paper and twine for the boy.
something a little more whimsical for my secret santa.
pretty, sparkley ribbon for mom.
7 tags
toms + skullcandy
i work for an awesome company for so many reasons. the most recent being our holiday gift - custom toms + skullcandy headphones!
you should also check out this sweet giving video.
7 tags
not a california christmas
i snapped this photo on my way home from dropping off the mister at the airport wednesday night. i love me a california christmas in a tee shirt and flip flops, but there’s talk of some snow tonight here in wisconsin - which i do (begrudgingly) have to admit, makes it feel so much more festive.